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Old 03-08-2006, 04:14 PM   #1
Skribbles
Join Date: Jan 2006
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how many times have you gotten hurt?

id just like to ask how many times in you've been hurt while training in aikido and how long you've been doing it?
like broken bones...seperated shoulders ect? also did it tend to happen more towards the beginning or after you had been training for awhile?
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Old 03-08-2006, 04:25 PM   #2
Adam Alexander
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Be careful who you take instruction from. If you trust the word of a person based on the color of their belt or because you like their personality, you could end up wishing that you never even heard of Aikido.

Last edited by Adam Alexander : 03-08-2006 at 04:33 PM.
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Old 03-08-2006, 04:48 PM   #3
emma.mason15
Dojo: Shima Arashi Dojo
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I did me shoulder in, pulling all the muscles along my shoulder and neck. I was off training for 4 weeks ... but thats all thats happened so far!

Dance your cares away .... worry for another day ... let the music play .... down in fraggle rock!

when bored ... do as I do. Poke a patient!
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Old 03-08-2006, 04:55 PM   #4
Amelia Smith
 
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I think that with more experience, I've become better at protecting myself and not getting injured. My worst injuries, in terms of time off the mat, were between about 2-5 years of training regularly (3rd and 2nd kyu). The worst was one overstretched set of foot ligaments, which made it impossible to sit seiza for 3 months or more. The most painful was an ongoing on-and-off lower back/hip/sciatica thing which I think I finally have under control. It's more chronic than acute, and was/is aggravated by taking too many breakfalls (but what fun I had!).
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Old 03-08-2006, 06:13 PM   #5
Mark Uttech
Dojo: Yoshin-ji Aikido of Marshall
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I have only gotten injured badly a few times, but there is a phenomenon that goes with that: Before each injury there was a shining moment where I felt I could do anything.
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Old 03-08-2006, 06:54 PM   #6
Nick Simpson
Dojo: White Rose Aikido - Durham University
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Quote:
Before each injury there was a shining moment where I felt I could do anything.
That is a VERY good way of putting it.

I've had my left hand cut open twice, flesh wound first time, loss of tendon and nerves second time. Broken toe once from getting it stuck in the mats. Few bust lips and noses but thats all part of the fun and games. To be honest I wouldnt trade the experiances of the injuries for anything, they've given me some pretty brutal experiances/insights and have shaped the person that I am as well as my training ethos and indeed my general technique etc etc. Take the rough and learn from it, Im not an expert on budo, but im sure it wasnt meant to be an easy road...

They're all screaming about the rock n roll, but I would say that it's getting old. - REFUSED.
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Old 03-08-2006, 07:33 PM   #7
Aristeia
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I've not really done anything serious at all at Aikido. Had one weird situation where I took a top ukemi the same way I had 100s of times before but for some reason it jarred my neck and I couln't move my head for a couple of days. But apart from that, pretty much injury free other than the odd mild wrist strain.

"When your only tool is a hammer every problem starts to look like a nail"
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Old 03-08-2006, 07:35 PM   #8
Aristeia
Location: Auckland
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Quote:
Jean de Rochefort wrote:
Be careful who you take instruction from. If you trust the word of a person based on the color of their belt or because you like their personality, you could end up wishing that you never even heard of Aikido.
Hey Jean. Interesting point - I agree that often poor instruction makes for injuries. Both in terms of not knowing what is dangerous, and injuring people for the need to "show off" as instructor. I've witnessed both unfortunately. Care to flesh out your comment a little?

"When your only tool is a hammer every problem starts to look like a nail"
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Old 03-08-2006, 08:15 PM   #9
ikkitosennomusha
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I had a sensei who I would throw hard from time to time. I did not mean to and did not realize it until I noticed he was shamelessly trying to throw me so hard as if to try and hurt me to adjust an ego. Luckily I am a big boy and have had no serious accidents although it could happen to anyone at anytime.

It was typical of me to throw hard. I had to struggle not necessarily with control but rather a differential ratio. Being a bodybuilder with serious mass and strength yeilded a constant effort by me to be mindful and extrememly easy. I never muscled my way through a technique. The more refined my technique got, the more powerful I became without using any power at all. Because of my gurth, my centripetal force would be greater than that of someone smaller during a technique. This caused some issues.

So, I found myself in a rut not being able to express my technique and getting nothing out of training. What a dilema. I know well what an ego hound is and believe me, it was never in my heart to be that. Aikido is not a contest of strength. Aikido in principle is invariant and the difference comes about in how each aikidoka conveys their interpretation. My problem was one of physics, nothing more. I was uncomfortable everytime I trained. No one understood me. Yes, I was not a normal guy in stature. When I would travel and visit dojos, the sensei would always love to call on me for ukemi because they wanted to test their technique against me with the attitude that if I can take this guy down, aikidomust work. They always tried to prove this by me.

Well, that is not what aikido is about. I was cooperative. I would show minimal resistance and go along with it out of respect. Most people could not get their hands around my wrist. Aikido is powerful and it works but at the same time I knew I could take the guy apart if I wanted. What does one do? I was at a camp and the director of the organization was seiza in front of me. I was grabbing his wrists. We were doing a balancing thing to make your center like a stump. I eventually let him shove me over out of respect knowing that I could have powered through him.

My point to all this is this, life is not fair to some. With my aikido knowledge and genetic makeup, alot are at a disadvantage. I try to level things out by being more cooperative than need be. Is this the thing to do? SHould I fall down for a superior rank because of the rank or perform to my ability? I have not figured this out yet and this would make for some added discussion on the good thread.

I once trained with a female at a seminar. She was complaining that everyone in the group was weak and not training hard enough. So, I though that was my cue to treat her normally. After I threw her once, she started complaing that I was throwing her too hard and she switched groups. Apparently, there is no happy medium.

Last edited by ikkitosennomusha : 03-08-2006 at 08:22 PM.
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Old 03-08-2006, 08:15 PM   #10
SeiserL
 
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

While I have hurt my shoulders, wrist, back, and knee during my time in training, I attribute it most just to the mileage that I have added up in life. Training is just where it all started catching up with me.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 03-08-2006, 09:27 PM   #11
Dajo251
Dojo: Aikido Downtown
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

never anything bad, bumps bruises, mat burns, a couple of broken toes, and once a dislocated finger

Dan Hulley
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Old 03-08-2006, 09:55 PM   #12
David Kai
Dojo: Northern Alberta Aikido
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

So, we're talking injuries. I, myself, am rather accident prone ... and also hyperflexibe, which doesn't help.

While studying Yoseikan Aiki Budo in Quebec, I managed to break my hand during a demonstration and I managed to CRUSH my big toe kicking what was supposed to be a matted wall ... turned out to be so worn out that it was more or less just a covered cinderblock. During that same time frame, I also managed to hyper-extend one of my ankles during a break fall. By taking the pressure off of one foot, I managed to wear out the other ankle very quickly. This is something that acts up every winter with a dull ache in my ankles.

During the last 10 years of Aikido training, I have had a few injuries. I had a concusion that hospitalized me. Funny though, I only grazed the mat with the utmost gentleness. It just happened to be at the perfect angle to mess with my head two days later as I was vomiting everywhere.

About 4 years ago, I did a full dislocation on my left elbow. The tissue scaring and secondary joint issues took about 2.5 years to clear up. 1-handed Aikido was in order for about 6 months.

Last April, I re-tore my hip-flexor taking the ukemi for a ude garami (cross arm throw). Sounds odd?!? I was born with bad hips and the regular ukemi puts too much pressure on the hip. I have another ukemi that I use, but I was at a seminar and nage was fustrated with my ukemi ... so he threw really hard and I couldn't make the adjustment I needed. Maybe, I should have said something first!?!

The only advice I would have to anybody who is looking to protect themselves is stretch, stretch, stretch, and don't let your ego stand in the way of asking, "How do I take this ukemi at my level?"
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Old 03-08-2006, 10:23 PM   #13
BenDuckett
Dojo: Shinryukan, Auckland
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Mike,

"Interesting point - I agree that often poor instruction makes for injuries."

I've had one mild shoulder separation, nothing too bad so far (I did a bad ukemi from a throw from my Instructor. And yes, Mike was that Instructor!)
Not to worry, I had far worse in my Judo days.
Ben
p.s. Mike did say he felt bad about it!

Ukemi is taught for a reason.
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Old 03-08-2006, 10:43 PM   #14
Lan Powers
Dojo: Aikido of Midland, Midland TX
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Broken toe about two months into training. Minor joint tweeks and hyperextensions since over several years span, but nothing that hasn't faded with care and time.
Takes quite a bit more time now than it ever has before though.......46 this Sept.
Lan

Play nice, practice hard, but remember, this is a MARTIAL art!
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Old 03-08-2006, 11:28 PM   #15
Aristeia
Location: Auckland
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Quote:
Ben Duckett wrote:
Mike,

"Interesting point - I agree that often poor instruction makes for injuries."

I've had one mild shoulder separation, nothing too bad so far (I did a bad ukemi from a throw from my Instructor. And yes, Mike was that Instructor!)
Not to worry, I had far worse in my Judo days.
Ben
p.s. Mike did say he felt bad about it!
Who are you! I've never heard of you before!

To be fair I wasn't instructing at the time?

"When your only tool is a hammer every problem starts to look like a nail"
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Old 03-09-2006, 02:25 AM   #16
Dirk Hanss
 
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

hurt: to cause emotional pain or anguish to : OFFEND
every time my technique does not work as it should. That happens several times per class and it is ALWAYS uke's FAULT

hurt: to inflict with physical pain
happens regularily, bad ukemi, strong technique, each nikyo, sankyo, yonkyo hurts (on my level). Stretching hurts. Aikido is pain, if you want to get forward. My personal SM studio

hurt: damage or injure
once: both still beginners, with some MA background. I (uke) tried to take ukemi, when being unbalanced in shihonage, Nage did not let me go so some 85 kg hung at my bent wrist, which was not used to that. Nothing was broken, but it took weeks until I could use my left hand for strong grips and even after several months from time to time I could not hold a grip, I had to let go quite early.

Ho long I am training? Some 8 years in total.

Dirk
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Old 03-09-2006, 02:54 AM   #17
UnholyFracas
Dojo: Devises Budo
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Thankfully I've never had any major injuries. *crosses fingers*

I have a trapped nerve in my neck which was bought on by doing ukemi head first; straight down in to the mat like a pile driver! The sheer number of times I've whacked my head since I probably have a skull like Jackie Chan's. Any excuse for a neck massage.

There's an interesting collection of popping sounds in my hips and right ankle but that's a percussion section rather than an injury...

We see things not as they are but as we are...

Katsumoto can rescue me anytime.
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Old 03-09-2006, 09:51 AM   #18
Gabriella Wrigholm
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I've never broken any bones during Aikido class but I have hurt my knees when being thrown in koshinage. And I recently got sort of dropped i the middle of a breakfall and hurt my leg in some way I don't understand. So I have to rest it for a few weeks. But it will be fine. Other than that I've never really been hurt and hope to keep it that way.

//Gabriella
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Old 03-09-2006, 09:58 AM   #19
Ben Eaton
Dojo: Loughborough Uni
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I've never had anything major, but I did cut my toe on my partner's toenail. That and burnt the top of my foot sliding out of a breakfall on the mat.

Moral of the story - cut your toenails! And don't drag the tops of your feet across the mat at speed.
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Old 03-09-2006, 10:08 AM   #20
Ron Tisdale
Dojo: Doshinkan dojo in Roxborough, Pa
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Were you hurt or were you injured?

Various bumps, bruises and cuts, grade 2 sprain of the mcl, various shoulder and knee issues, just got tendonitus of the supraspinatus tendon (mostly better now).

What I really hate is being responsible for someone else's injury. Most of mine I did to myself.

Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale
-----------------------
"The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind."
St. Bonaventure (ca. 1221-1274)
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Old 03-09-2006, 10:16 AM   #21
Karen Wolek
Dojo: Kingston Aikido
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Knee sprain, elbow sprain, elbows hyperextended a few times, toe sprains, hand/pinkie sprain, broken nose (cartilege fracture), and a lot of bumps, bruises, mat burns, toe/fingernail cuts from others.

I am now a lot less accident-prone that I used to be, though. I think my ukemi has improved A LOT and I'm more aware of what's going on as nage and as uke.

Nothing that kept me off the mat for more than a day or so, except the knee sprain. THAT I should have rested right away, but didn't....so it took 5 months to finally heal after on again/off again practice. The nose I broke in an AM class, got x-rays taken that afternoon, and drove straight to the dojo for class after leaving the hospital. OK, that was not my most brilliant move. <grin>

Oh, and I've been doing aikido for about 3 1/2 years.

Karen
"Try not. Do...or do not. There is no try." - Master Yoda
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Old 03-09-2006, 10:53 AM   #22
Qatana
 
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Partially dislocated my shoulder in my second class, trained one-handed for a while. Broke my toe when it got caught in my partner's gi.

Q
http://www.aikidopetaluma.com/
www.knot-working.com

"It is not wise to be incautious when confronting a little smiling bald man"'- Rule #1
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Old 03-09-2006, 11:13 AM   #23
Kev
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

I've noticed a lot of broken toes resulting from the puzzle mats, at least 1 every two weeks at the karate dojo where I train. I was the victim this past week, breaking the middle (how that happened?) toe on my left foot.
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Old 03-09-2006, 02:34 PM   #24
markwalsh
Dojo: Airenjuku Brighton
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

Is there anyone out there who has been training for over 5 years and hasn't had an injury?

[Currently figuring out how to do aikido without raising arms to head... ]
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Old 03-09-2006, 02:43 PM   #25
Aristeia
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Re: how many times have you gotten hurt?

If it helps the one injurish thing that happened to me (slight neck sprain) probably happened after about 8 years.

"When your only tool is a hammer every problem starts to look like a nail"
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